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Thatch knew better than to argue. Kyra wasn’t about to let him out of here without torturing him. “Whatever you have to do, Doc.”
“I’m not a doctor, remember?” She pulled a blood pressure cuff off a nearby hook on the wall and clamped it around his biceps. “So was everything okay with Lyric last night?”
Uh-oh.He should’ve been ready for this line of questioning. Of course she’d want to discuss his relationship with Lyric. They were best friends. “Sure. She was okay last night.” But he wouldn’t call his interactions with Lyric at dinner exactly convincing for a new romance. “Why do you ask?”
“Something seemed off.” She paused and put the stethoscope’s earpieces in her ears and pumped the bloodpressure cuff, cutting off his circulation. “Blood pressure looks great.” She jotted something on his chart. “Lyric wasn’t herself last night. Especially after dinner. She was too quiet. It seemed like she had a lot on her mind.”
Thatch had noticed that too. He’d even asked her if everything was okay, but she brushed away his concern. Lyric didn’t want to share anything personal with him. “I think she was tired. From the hike.” He tried to think of a way to distract Kyra from discussing their relationship. “And she’s worried about one of her students too. Elina.”
“Oh, that’s right.” She paused again and pressed the cold metal of the stethoscope against his chest, instructing him to take deep breaths. “No pneumonia.” Again, she recorded the declaration on her clipboard. “We ran into Elina and Franco at the store when we went shopping.”
“Did it seem like Franco was treating her aggressively?” Maybe he shouldn’t ask, but he had to know if the kid was simply telling him what he wanted to hear when they’d talked about Elina.
Kyra gave the question some time. “Actually, I didn’t notice anything too off between them,” she finally said. “I mean, they both looked mad to me. But I also don’t know either one of them well. I can see why it triggered Lyric to see Franco grab Elina’s arm, though.”
Triggered.That was a good word to describe Lyric’s physical demeanor whenever she talked about Franco and Elina. “You can?”
“Well, yeah.” His friend placed the stethoscope on a hook by the blood pressure cuff. “I mean, after what she went through with Luke—” Kyra stopped abruptly, concern suddenly radiating in her wide eyes. “Shehastoldyou what happened with her ex, right? I mean, you’re together. That’s something you tell your significant other.”
If they had something real, Lyric might’ve trusted him with her past. But here he was trying to help her sort out Franco and Elina’s relationship problems when he had no context for Lyric’s reactions. He didn’t want to pry behind her back, but he did need to understand. “I know some of what happened between them.” Now his biggest concern was whether this jerk would come to Star Valley and create problems.
“You don’t happen to know if she’s seen him or had any contact with him since the divorce, do you?” He tried to ask casually, but if the woman were to take his blood pressure now, she likely wouldn’t give him a clean bill of health.
“I don’t think so.” Kyra reached into a cabinet and found an Ace wrap. “This will put some compression on your ribs.” She gestured for him to hold his arms out and then started to wrap the bandage tightly around his chest. “I’m pretty sure Lyric hasn’t seen Luke since before the divorce when her mom and Kenny picked her up from the hospital.”
Hospital? Thatch nearly jolted off the table. Jesus. So the asshole had hurt Lyric bad enough to put her in the hospital and now he was coming to Star Valley. “Luke is competing at Rodeo Days this year.”
Kyra bolted upright and dropped the wrap. “Oh, God. Does Lyric know?”
“I told her.” He would’ve told her more carefully if he’d had any idea of the hell that man had put her through. “Kirby said he was on the bronc riding schedule. Lyric acted as if his coming to Star Valley wasn’t a big deal.”Because she didn’t trust Thatch enough to tell him the truth. But he’d read past her words. The tremors in her voice, the sudden desire to stop talking about Luke and escape the conversation. He should’ve realized how deeply fearful she was of this guy.
“She doesn’t like to talk about her past.” Kyra started winding the bandage around his ribs again. “She’s only told me snippets. I don’t know many details. But I don’t think she’s ever gotten over what he did to her.”
Whathadhe done to her? Thatch couldn’t ask because Kyra assumed he already knew. And what good would details do anyway? Hearing the play-by-play would only make Thatch want to hunt Luke down the same way he’d hunted down international terrorists.
“That’s why I’m so happy for you two.” Kyra secured the wrap with Velcro and then stepped back. “It seems like maybe she’s finally putting all that heartache and fear behind her.”
He wished that were true. He wished he could be a part of Lyric’s healing. He would do anything to help her. But she was keeping him on the outside, even when they were supposed to be together. When she’d told him she didn’t want to be with him, he’d let go. He wouldn’t push her now.
But he would still damn well protect her.
“Do you think Luke will try to see her?” Kyra sank to her rolling stool, worry locking her jaw.
“That won’t happen.” He would make sure. Thatch pushed off the exam table and pulled on his shirt. “I’ll be around that weekend, and I won’t let him get near her.”
“What if he’s coming for revenge or something?” She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “As far as I know, shenever pressed charges when he broke her arm. Right? But maybe he’s still angry she left him.”
His stomach clenched. From the little Lyric told him, he’d assumed her marriage to Luke had been ugly, but he hadn’t realized she’d lived through a genuine nightmare.
“Thank God you’ll be around.” Kyra was on her feet again, pacing. “We’ll have to make sure she’s never alone that weekend. You’ll have to stay with her. Or she could even stay at your place.”
“I’ll take care of it.” He would take care of Lyric. “Luke won’t have the chance to—”
“Knock, knock.” Lyric poked her head into the exam room. “How’s the patient?”
“Oh. Um.” Kyra suddenly went back into medical professional mode, her eyes scanning his chart. “He has a pretty serious contusion, but I don’t think there are any broken bones.” She raised her eyebrows at him. “However, the only way to be sure is to drive to Jackson and get an X-ray.”
“No thanks.” Right now, Thatch couldn’t look away from Lyric. He’d always admired the strength in her, her genuine compassion and concern for people, the way she made everyone feel valued. But now he knew where those traits had come from. They were born from her own trials and pains.
